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Police owe answers to passengers left on GO bus with alleged murderer: Editorial

Passengers were left locked on a GO bus with an alleged murderer for 25 minutes. They deserve a better explanation from police.

Some 20 passengers were left aboard a locked GO bus for nearly half an hour with a man wanted in a murder investigation last Thursday night. (David Ritchie / For the Toronto Star)

Mon., Feb. 22, 2016

On the face of it, it appears outrageous.

Why were about 20 passengers locked on a Toronto-bound GO bus for almost half an hour with a man police wanted to arrest for second degree murder — as representatives of four police forces milled around outside?

As passenger Alexander Ramirez told police in a letter obtained by the Star: “This incident is the first time in my life where I genuinely felt like I was being held as collateral damage.”

It’s no wonder Ramirez feels that way. The man the passengers were trapped with, Joseph Scott Young, is charged with second degree murder in the vicious January beating death of 19-year-old Tehganni Lewis.

Unless there is something that the arresting department, Durham Regional Police, aren’t telling us — and they haven’t exactly been forthcoming — Ramirez is right. “Thankfully,” he added, “it didn’t end in a tragedy. But it very easily could have.”

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Here are some questions police should answer about the incident that happened beside the Gardiner Expressway late last Thursday:

Did police know whether Young had a weapon?

Did they consider that he might take passengers hostage?

Is there a undisclosed protocol that says it’s safer to leave passengers with an alleged murderer than to get them off the bus?

In short, what were officers from the OPP, Hamilton, Toronto and Durham police departments — who were all at the scene — thinking?

The OPP says there was no concern for public safety. Young was kept on the bus while police gathered outside with the driver because it was “safe and secure.” It “just takes a few minutes to discuss with the other partners about what the next steps are going forward and get the best information,” according to spokesman Sgt. Kerry Schmidt.

Surely it was “safe and secure” for police outside the bus, but not so clearly for those locked inside with Young for 25 minutes.

Further details weren’t forthcoming from Durham police, who made the arrest. As Jacques Gallant and Peter Goffin reported, Durham police initially even refused to comment, saying their officers had not been at the scene. This was the day after they made the arrest.

It’s not just Durham police who should be more forthcoming. All the forces involved owe it to the people on the bus and the general public to explain what appears to be a striking lapse of judgment on their part.

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